Terminology: US vs. UK - 1942

[V.C. Brunswick]

One of my favorite Briticisms that I use all the time is "dodgy."

 

[MisterCairo]

Git.
Gawping.
Whadda ya reck?
A right corker.
Smashing.
You look very "smart".
Pram.
High street.


I shall be visiting my uncle George in Northants this summer. An all right bloke. He has a new missus too.

 

[Shangas]

One of my favorite Briticisms that I use all the time is "dodgy."

I use dodgy all the time. The important thing is not to buy anything labelled as 'dodgy'.

 

[Two Types]

My favourite (although it's a very localised one):

Driving aimlessly around to show off a car:

US: Crusiing vs UK: 'Townie Lapping' (only used, to my knowledge, in East Northamptonshire)

I find the Canadian use of language most interesting. The first time we went there my wife immediately said 'The words they use are like it's Scotland in the 1970s'.
I just like the fact that I can travel half way across the world, find myself up a ski slope in minus 30 degrees, and the locals say 'it's a bit chilly up the hill today'.

 

[Two Types]

obviously that was supposed to read 'cruising', but the edit button doesn't seem to be working.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Lorry I have no idea about.

Boot (the rear storage compartment of a car) I think probably has its beginnings in the phrase "to give [something/someone] the boot", to get rid of something, to place it out of sight.

 

[Hal]

"Car" comes from "motor-carriage".

It certainly comes from "carriage" but is much older than "motor-carriage"; it goes back to an Indo-European root meaning "four-wheeled vehicle".

 

[MikeBravo]

Lorry I have no idea about.

Boot (the rear storage compartment of a car) I think probably has its beginnings in the phrase "to give [something/someone] the boot", to get rid of something, to place it out of sight.

The word "cranky" comes from a person who is in a bad mood after having difficulties crank starting a motor vehicle

 

[MikeBravo]

I never understood where "lorry" comes from, either!

"Van" I'm sure, comes from "caravan".

"Car" comes from "motor-carriage".

"Automobile" comes from the words "Self Moving".

"Lorry"??? No idea!!

Wikiepdia gives some clarification on truck and lorry. It states truck is used in US and Australia, and lorry in Britain and Commonwealth countries:
"The word "truck" might have come from a back-formation of "truckle" with the meaning "small wheel", "pulley", from Middle English trokell, in turn from Latin trochlea. Another explanation is that it comes from Latin trochus with the meaning of "iron hoop". In turn, both go back to Greek trokhos (τροχός) meaning "wheel" from trekhein (τρέχειν, "to run"). The first known usage of "truck" was in 1611 when it referred to the small strong wheels on ships' cannon carriages. In its extended usage it came to refer to carts for carrying heavy loads, a meaning known since 1771. With the meaning of "motor-powered load carrier", it has been in usage since 1930, shortened from "motor truck", which dates back to 1916.[1][2]

"Lorry" has a more uncertain origin, but probably has its roots in the railroad industry, where the word is known to have been used in 1838 to refer to a type of truck (a freight car as in British usage, not a bogie as in the American), specifically a large flat wagon. It probably derives from the verb lurry (to pull, tug) of uncertain origin. With the meaning of "self-propelled vehicle for carrying goods" it has been in usage since 1911"

 

[MikeBravo]

And then there's the word 'fanny". Back bottom in US, front bottom in British Commonwealth.

"Fanny pack" makes us chuckle

 

[Shangas]

"Fanny pack", or "bumbag". Either is equally unappealing.

Then we have "Diaper" and "nappy".

According to the program "The Worst Jobs in History" (presented by Tony Robinson), the word 'diaper' originated in England, and actually refers to the pattern of the weave in the cloth used to make undergarments. So that kind of makes sense.

Where 'Nappy' comes from, I have no idea.

 

[MisterCairo]

I think Canada has a new tourism slogan: "Canada: It's like Scotland in the 1970s!"

I love it!

Reminds me of the show Flight of the Conchords and the various New Zealand posters: New Zealand: Like Scotland, but Farther, or New Zealand: Why not?

My favourite (although it's a very localised one):

Driving aimlessly around to show off a car:

US: Crusiing vs UK: 'Townie Lapping' (only used, to my knowledge, in East Northamptonshire)

I find the Canadian use of language most interesting. The first time we went there my wife immediately said 'The words they use are like it's Scotland in the 1970s'.
I just like the fact that I can travel half way across the world, find myself up a ski slope in minus 30 degrees, and the locals say 'it's a bit chilly up the hill today'.

 

[MisterCairo]

Last I checked Australia was in the Commonwealth, as is Canada and we don't use lorry, we use truck.

I take wikipedia with a grain of salt.

A very large grain of salt...

Wikiepdia gives some clarification on truck and lorry. It states truck is used in US and Australia, and lorry in Britain and Commonwealth countries:
"The word "truck" might have come from a back-formation of "truckle" with the meaning "small wheel", "pulley", from Middle English trokell, in turn from Latin trochlea. Another explanation is that it comes from Latin trochus with the meaning of "iron hoop". In turn, both go back to Greek trokhos (τροχός) meaning "wheel" from trekhein (τρέχειν, "to run"). The first known usage of "truck" was in 1611 when it referred to the small strong wheels on ships' cannon carriages. In its extended usage it came to refer to carts for carrying heavy loads, a meaning known since 1771. With the meaning of "motor-powered load carrier", it has been in usage since 1930, shortened from "motor truck", which dates back to 1916.[1][2]

"Lorry" has a more uncertain origin, but probably has its roots in the railroad industry, where the word is known to have been used in 1838 to refer to a type of truck (a freight car as in British usage, not a bogie as in the American), specifically a large flat wagon. It probably derives from the verb lurry (to pull, tug) of uncertain origin. With the meaning of "self-propelled vehicle for carrying goods" it has been in usage since 1911"

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Railroad (US) = Railway (UK)
Engineer (US) = Driver (UK)
Conductor (US) = Guard (UK)
Boxcar (US) = Goods Wagon (UK)
Hopper Car (US) = Mineral Wagon (though Hopper Wagon is more commonly used nowadays) (UK)

 

[Baron Kurtz]

This one very doubtful/urban myth territory. There's clear etymological line from the Dutch/German crank/krank (ill/sick - see modern krankenhaus/hospital krankenwagen/ambulance), and probably through old and middle English for same. It was in use to describe someone or something "out of sorts" at least by the middle-late 18th century. OED has it in 1787 meaning "ailing". The crank start is one I've heard before, but is almost certainly incorrect.

The word "cranky" comes from a person who is in a bad mood after having difficulties crank starting a motor vehicle

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Senior or Senior Citizen (US) = Pensioner (UK)

Where 'Nappy' comes from, I have no idea.

I assume that Nappy is derived from Napkin which also explains why a certain feminine hygiene product is called a "sanitary napkin" or "sanitary towel" in the UK which can be a bit offputting to American ears because in the US "napkin" or "towel" is associated with something to wipe one's mouth or face.

 

[Shangas]

Last I checked Australia was in the Commonwealth, as is Canada and we don't use lorry, we use truck.

I take wikipedia with a grain of salt.

A very large grain of salt...

Canadiana and Australia are both in the Commonwealth. Yes. But we don't use lorry (at least, not down here. Not sure about up north).

And FYI: A large grain of salt is known as a 'corn'.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Lorry and Truck are interchangable here.

 

[Hal]

Lorry and Truck are interchangable here.

Not exclusively; "truck" can mean "lorry", but it can also mean a railway goods-wagon - one would speal of a "coal-truck" in the latter context.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

yeah, yeah, but when you're talking about a motor vehicle of the lorry kind, on the road, it would equally likely be called a truck as a lorry, no?